Field Crew Member; Trails, Backcountry, Forestry, Fuels - Bozeman, Helena, Kalispell and Missoula

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3 Feb 2026

Gain professional career skills, explore the wilds of the Northern Rockies, and launch your natural resource career!

Montana Conservation Corps believes that through conservation service and authentic connection, you can sharpen your ability to create change and join the next generation of leaders for a better world. At MCC, we focus on the growth of our participants, positively impacting our public lands, and transferable career skills.

What you will do:

As a crew member, you will serve on 4-9 day overnight conservation projects on some of the most breathtaking landscapes in the Northern Rockies and Plains. Your crew will be made up of adults who are 17-30 years old and come from a variety of backgrounds and locations throughout the country.

Crews will camp for the full duration of a hitch (i.e. 4-9 day project assignment), oftentimes in remote locations on varied terrain and in all weather conditions. Camping accommodations vary, including car-camping and remote backcountry settings away from a vehicle.
Not all CMs will serve on all types of projects. Crews may be deployed for natural disaster relief. Projects & Crew types may shift during the season.

• Field Crews: Duties may include building or maintaining trails, treating or removing invasive species, building fences, operating chainsaws to reduce wildfire risks by thinning trees, among many other types of projects.
• Forestry Crews: Duties may include Tree Species , Timber Stand Assessment, Tree Marking, Timber Sale Boundary Marking, Tree Planting, Silviculture Prescriptions, Reforestation Plot Surveying, Chainsaw Operations/Maintenance, Precommercial Thinning, Fireline/Fuelbreak Operations, and more.
• Field and Fuels: These crews will likely have a high proportion of chainsaw use, fireline construction and other forest health monitoring activities. This may also include wildland fuels mitigation projects.

What you will get:

Crew Members receive extensive training in technical skills, federal hiring, communication, teamwork, and much more. Through a term of service with MCC, participants not only walk away with valuable technical and field skills, but also develop competencies to achieve success in a wide variety of careers. Crew Members experience the full measure of their character and discover their capacity to lead change in their communities and, just as importantly, in their own lives.

A term of service with MCC places our participants in an excellent position for future federal hiring and conservation careers!

Who we are looking for:

We often see applicants who don’t realize they are qualified to take on a role here  is a developmental program and it is our role to teach, train, and develop leadership competencies in our participants. We recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a service term, therefore our position descriptions are guidelines, not hard and fast rules.

Your experience, which may include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer service, helps build the competencies and knowledge that translates to our openings. We encourage anyone to apply who has an interest in conservation and bettering themselves for the future. Previous Corps experience is NOT REQUIRED to be a part of our MCC community.

What Qualities Make a Successful Crew Member at MCC:

• A passion for service and conservation.
• A positive mental attitude and seeing others with positive regard.
• Adaptability and flexibility.
• A commitment to serving the whole term.
• A growth mindset – coming willing to learn, grow, and challenge yourself.

Location: Bozeman, Helena, Kalispell and Missoula, MT

Ages: 17-30, up to 35 for military veterans

Program Dates: 5/11/2026 – 10/16/2026

Living Allowance: $1,200 biweekly before taxes are taken out

Ameri Corps Education Award: $3,697.50 upon completion of the program

Health Insurance :
Provided at NO COST for full term

Member Assistance Program :
Free 24/7 access to confidential behavioral health…